1. 2019 will mark the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe. It will also coincide with other major anniversaries, namely the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 60th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights.

2. The Committee of Ministers will have to take decisions - including budgetary - concerning the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe by autumn 2018.

3. A number of principles will guide the decision-making process, namely:

a) It should take into account the current political, institutional and budgetary situation of the Organisation so as to provide a balanced and dignified commemoration;

b) It should focus on one or two major high-impact, high-visibility events: the session of the Committee of Ministers and a ceremony at which all Council of Europe bodies will come together to deliver a coherent message for the whole of the Organisation; and

c) It should focus on the Council of Europe’s core activities, with a view to adopting a future-oriented approach.

4. The present document is drawn up on the basis of experience gained from the celebrations of the 50th and 60th anniversaries. It is intended to foster a discussion as to the general framework of the celebrations, which is essential at this stage in order to ensure that the celebrations are organised in a timely manner.

5. At the outset it should be mentioned that this document does not focus on the ordinary activities in the Programme and Budget of the Council of Europe for 2019 (or their budgetary implications), which will also bear the 70th anniversary label.

6. The overall costs of the 70th anniversary celebrations will be discussed at a later stage in the light of a number of factors, including the budgetary context. The proposals included in this document follow a balanced approach, taking the necessary elements into account.

7. The celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe should be structured around three complementary and mutually-reinforcing aspects: a) visibility, b) political impetus, and c) commemoration. A number of activities will contribute to securing each of these dimensions. The celebrations should combine activities in Strasbourg with activities in the field and at national level.

8. Other important aspects that should be borne in mind are the integrated character of the celebrations, bringing together all the institutions of the Organisation, and the complementarity between the Council of Europe’s own celebrations and those organised at national level by the member States, which should be promoted and encouraged. The other specific anniversaries within the Council of Europe e.g. 60th anniversary of the Court, 25th anniversary of the Congress, 20th anniversary of GRECO, etc. will also be taken into account.

a) Visibility

9. The 70th anniversary offers an opportunity to enhance the visibility of the Organisation as a whole, such as through the use of a common 70th anniversary logo or label. A visibility pack will be created (letterhead, posters, e-cards, etc.) and made available to Council of Europe services and Permanent Representations, as well as to national and local authorities.

10.Logo - Based on the experience of the 50th and 60th anniversaries, the current Council of Europe logo coupled with a reference to the 70th anniversary appears the most suitable solution. It has the key advantages of simplicity, preserving the existing visual identity and logo, and avoiding the confusion which might be created by competing logos. This logo will be used on all Council of Europe correspondence, documentation, publications and online resources in 2019, replacing the official logo during that year, the use of which will be resumed as of 1 January 2020. The proposed logo is set out in Appendix 1.

11.Slogan - The 50th anniversary slogan was: "The democratic conscience of Europe". The 60th anniversary slogan, "Human Rights – Democracy – Rule of Law", has become a standard element of the Organisation’s modus operandi, an assertion of the core values of the Council of Europe. For the 70th anniversary it is proposed to use "Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Our Europe"[1]. This slogan, together with the 70th anniversary logo, will be used as part of the visual identity of the Council of Europe throughout 2019.

12. In connection with the political impetus and commemorative dimensions, a number of other specific initiatives are proposed to contribute to the visibility of the Organisation in 2019, namely:

1. Social Media

a) A 70th anniversary section within the Council of Europe website;

b) High visibility thematic short clips to be disseminated through social media and TV stations;

c) E-campaigns addressed in particular to young people;

d) A 70th anniversary photo competition through a social network on the subject of "70 years making Europe: 47 countries, 840 million people – Europe and Europeans today" (see guidelines in Appendix 2);[2]

e) Virtual open doors of Council of Europe buildings;

2. National initiatives on a voluntary basis

f) Commemorative stamps and coins: member States will be encouraged to issue commemorative stamps and coins - the 70th anniversary logo will be made available to them to this end (samples are included in Appendix 3);

j) 70th anniversary Treaty event (the list of treaties celebrating a particular anniversary in 2019 is set out in Appendix 5);

k) Local activities highlighting the Seat of the Council of Europe in co-operation with the City of Strasbourg: in particular Europe Day will be dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe and open to the general public.

13. There will also be specific activities in the external offices and in the field. The Heads of Office will coordinate with the national authorities the scope and level of activities to be planned, taking into account member State priorities, specific national celebrations and other initiatives organised on a voluntary basis. Additionally, it will be suggested to plan "Open doors" days on 5 May 2019 at the offices.

b) Political impetus – Session of the Committee of Ministers – Helsinki, May 2019

14. In line with the precedents of the ministerial Sessions on the occasion of the 50th and 60th anniversaries, the May 2019 Session will be held in the capital of Finland, the country holding the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers during that period. That Session will be an occasion for Ministers to conduct a critical assessment of the Organisation's achievements and strengths and to set the political orientation for its future, along the lines of the Warsaw Summit Declaration and Plan of Action. The results of the ministerial meeting will be brought to the attention of various bodies for follow-up.

15. The Session will be combined with a commemorative and cultural event to mark the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe held on the eve of the ministerial Session.

c) Commemorative dimension – the "main event"

16. In addition to the above-mentioned ministerial Session in May, a second major event will be organised to coincide with the 4th Part Session of the Parliamentary Assembly (30 September-4 October 2019) in Strasbourg, as the Seat of the Organisation, and with the involvement of the City of Strasbourg.

17. This ceremonial event will mark the celebration of the 70th anniversary and include an institutional ceremony and statements by Council of Europe authorities and possibly other major personalities who could bear witness to what the Council of Europe represents, as well as a concert and a festive celebration. The event will be open to the public and bring together Council of Europe authorities, high-level personalities, permanent representatives, members of the Parliamentary Assembly and judges at the Court, local authorities, young people, staff members, etc. It would provide a further opportunity to maintain the political momentum, particularly in looking to the future, with an integrated approach involving the various institutions of the Organisation and providing for an institutional commemoration. A similar event was organised on the occasion of the 60th anniversary. The programme for that event is included in Appendix 6 for information.

Other events

18. The 2019 World Forum for Democracy will have a particular importance. By highlighting the core values of the Council of Europe and focusing on the conclusions of the above-mentioned ministerial Session, it will also formulate proposals for the way forward. The general theme and possible sub-themes for the Forum will be decided in the coming period on the basis of input from the partners taking into account the challenges identified as having a major impact on democracy. The Forum will bring together members of civil society, elected officials, political leaders and journalists from all over the world.

19. It should also be recalled that the various institutions of the Council of Europe will organise their own specific activities.

20. The Assembly will organise a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary during its Third Part Session in 2019. Standing Committee events may also be organised in Paris and Tbilisi in this connection. Specific exhibitions on the personalities attending the Assembly through the years, including guest book entries and speeches, could also be presented, together possibly with a video.

21. The Congress will mark its 25th anniversary in 2019. This will be celebrated in February 2019 together with the European Committee of the Regions which will also mark its 25th anniversary. Furthermore, the two sessions of the Congress in 2019, the European Local Democracy Week and its network of cities and regions, as well as the network of youth delegates invited to the Sessions since 2014 will contribute to the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe. These events will underline the contribution of local and regional authorities to the activities of the Council of Europe in promoting democracy, respect for human rights and rule of law and highlight the local and regional dimensions of democracy.

22. The Court will also mark its 60th anniversary and activities will be planned in that respect, including, in addition to visibility actions such as a commemorative stamp, the traditional opening of the Court’s judicial year (end of January), to which national judicial authorities are invited, and the seminar held on that occasion, as well as activities aimed at enhancing communication and visibility. In addition there will be specific exhibitions, dedicated publications and an "Open Doors" day, subject to the availability of budgetary and human resources.

23. The proposed programme of activities for the 70th anniversary is set out in Appendix 7. This programme should be seen in conjunction with all the other activities of the Council of Europe in 2019, the importance of which should not be disregarded. A number of activities will form part of the ordinary Programme and Budget for 2019; those with a specific relevance for the 70th anniversary have been included.

24. The 70th anniversary carries a particular significance, given the context in which the Organisation is evolving. The framework for the activities takes into account the national political, parliamentary, academic and cultural initiatives, which member States are encouraged to take on a voluntary basis, including those which will be taken by the French authorities and by the City of Strasbourg as host country and city; and those of the successive Chairmanships of the Committee of Ministers in 2019. Council of Europe staff and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Council of Europe will also be called upon to take an active part in the celebrations.[5]

Appendix 1

70th anniversary logo

70th anniversary Slogan

English

Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Our Europe

français

Nos droits, nos libertés, notre Europe

shqipe

Të Drejtat Tona, Liritë Tona, Evropa Jonë

català

Els nostres drets, les nostres llibertats, la nostra Europa

Հայերեն

Մերիրավունքները,Մերազատությունները,ՄերԵվրոպան

Azərbaycanca

Hüquqlarımız, Azadlıqlarımız, Avropamız

Bosanski

Naša prava, naše slobode, naša Evropa

български

Нашите права, нашите свободи, нашата Европа

hrvatski

Naša prava, naše slobode, naša Europa

čeština

Naše práva, naše svobody, naše Evropa

Dansk

Vores Ret, vores Frihed, vores Europa

Eesti

Meie õigused, meie vabadused, meie Euroopa

suomi

Meidän oikeutemme, meidän vapautemme, meidän Eurooppamme

ქართული

ჩვენიუფლებები,ჩვენითავისუფლებები,ჩვენიევროპა

Deutsch

Unsere Rechte, unsere Freiheiten, unser Europa

Ελληνικά

Τα δικαιώματά μας, οι ελευθερίες μας, η Ευρώπη μας

Magyar

A mi jogaink, a mi szabadságunk, a mi Európánk

Íslensku

Okkar réttur, okkar frelsi, okkar Evrópa

italiano

I nostri diritti, le nostre libertà, la nostra Europa

Latviešu

Mūsu tiesības, mūsu brīvības, mūsu Eiropa

Lietuvių

Mūsų Teisės, Mūsų Laisvė, Mūsų Europa

Malti

Id-Drittijiet Tagħna, il-Libertajiet tagħna, l-Ewropa tagħna

Crnogorski

Naša prava, naše slobode, naša Evropa

Nederlands

Onze rechten, onze vrijheden, ons Europa

norsk

Våre rettigheter, våre friheter, vårt Europa

polski

Nasze prawa, Nasze wolności, Nasza Europa

português

Os nossos direitos, As nossas liberdades, A nossa Europa

română

Drepturile noastre, Libertățile noastre, Europa noastră

русский

Наши права. Наши свободы. Наша Европа

Српски

Наша права, наше слободе, наша Европа

Slovenský

Naše práva, naše slobody, naša Európa

Slovenščina

Naše pravice, naše svoboščine, naša Evropa

Español

Nuestros derechos, nuestras libertades, nuestra Europa

svenska

Våra rättigheter, våra friheter, vårt Europa

Македонски

Нашите права, нашите слободи, нашата Европа

Türkçe

Haklarımız, Özgürlüklerimiz, Avrupa’mız

Українська

Наші права, наші свободи, наша Європа

Appendix 2

Photo competition

Theme

"70 years making Europe: 47 countries, 840 million people - Europe and Europeans today"

Created in 1949, the Council of Europe counts 47 countries covering 840 million people. Its core values and mission are Human Rights – Democracy – Rule of Law. Against this background, the general title is intended to spur reflection about the common thread between these countries and people, their reality, challenges, expectations and hopes for a better future.

The competition includes five categories:

·People

·Places (nature, rural and urban landscapes, sites, buildings, etc.)

·Moments

·Challenges

·Black and white

Format

The Photo competition will be organised though Instagram using mobile devices. Individual photos should be uploaded to Instagram tagging the Council of Europe (@CouncilofEurope) and using only one of the following hashtags categories:

The competition is open to anyone over the age of 13 living in one of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe (see disclaimer below).

Organisation

The competition will be organised through Instagram. It will be launched officially by the Council of Europe at the beginning of 2019 for a period of 3 months. National authorities will be asked to co-operate by disseminating information about the competition through the relevant channels and networks with a particular focus on young people e.g. Permanent Representations, Council of Europe website, relevant ministries of education, cultural institutions, youth agencies, relevant Council of Europe committees, parliamentary networks at national, local and regional level, etc.

Jury

A jury will be formed to select a winning photo for each of the above-mentioned categories and an overall winning photo.

Winners and prize

The above-mentioned winners will be officially announced on30 June2019 and will be awarded a diploma by the Council of Europe. They will be invited to receive it at the 70th anniversary commemorative event in Strasbourg in October 2019. Their winning photos will be published on the Council of Europe website and may be used in further Council of Europe visibility documentation and campaigns.

Disclaimers

Participants can only submit photos which are entirely their own and for which they have full copyright. By participating in the competition they authorise the Council of Europe to reproduce the photos they have submitted.

These guidelines are not exhaustive. They are intended to assist member states in the organisation at national level of an essay writing competition and to invite a consistent approach across 47 countries.

Theme

“Imagining the European of the future?”Created in 1949, the Council of Europe counts 47 countries covering 840 million people. Its core values and mission are Human Rights – Democracy – Rule of Law. Against this background, the general title (in the form of a question) is intended to spur reflection about the common thread between these countries and people and where the writers would like them to be in the future. The title also leaves the possibility for more complex treatment.

Length

Essays should have a maximum of 1000 words.

Language(s)

The authorities in each member state should decide in which language and form submissions can be made. Where handwritten submissions are allowed, the winning essay should also be provided in a typed format (see section winners below).

Participants

Young people living in Europe born in the XXI century: 14 to 18 years old

Organisation

The competition should be launched officially by the appropriate national authorities. Schools and other relevant institutions should be informed through the competent ministries and agencies e.g. ministries of education, national cultural institutions, etc. The competition should be as widely publicised as possible, e.g. by posting the competition and its details on relevant websites with links to the Council of Europe website and the 70th anniversary section.

Jury

A jury should be formed at national level to receive and assess submissions in order to select a winning national essay bearing in mind the proposed theme and the fact that the competition forms part of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe. The jury could include members of the national delegations to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and Congress and other relevant personalities.

Winners

The above-mentioned jury will declare the national winner.

The Permanent Representation of each participating member state will communicate the name of the national winner together with the winning essay in its original version, a translation in English or in French, a photo and contact details of the national winner to Council of Europe Protocol by30 June2019. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that the national selection procedure be completed in time to ensure that the winning essay is translated and transmitted to the Council of Europe before this deadline.

Prize

Each national winner will be awarded a diploma by the Council of Europe and invited to receive it at the 70th anniversary commemorative event in Strasbourg in October 2019.

In addition, other prizes may be decided upon and awarded at national level

Disclaimers

Participants should confirm in writing to the organising national authority that the work is entirely their own.

In addition the winner will authorise the Council of Europe to reproduce in full or in part the winning essay in its original and translated versions.

Appendix 5

Treaties having a particular anniversary in 2019

Due to their date of opening for signature

70 years

Statute of the Council of Europe (ETS No. 1)*

05/05/1949

60 years

Third Protocol to the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe (ETS No. 28)

Frank De Winne (video)European Space Agency / International Space Station

Mikhail GorbachevFormer President of the Soviet Union

Václav Havel (video)Former President of the Czech Republic

José Manuel Durão BarrosoPresident of the European Commission

Cecilia MalmströmMinister for European Affairs of Sweden, Presidency of the European Union

Youth essay writing Prize Award

Thorbjørn JaglandSecretary General of the Council of Europe

Alexander RybakWinner of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest

Appendix 7

70th anniversary programme of activities

1 January, Strasbourg

Joint statement by Council of Europe authorities marking the beginning of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe

Launch of the 70th anniversary section on the Council of Europe website

21-25 January, Strasbourg

Commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz, with particular emphasis on the reasons for founding the Council of Europe, in theory on 27 January; the date will be adjusted in accordance with the PACE session

January, Strasbourg

Opening of the judicial year of the European Court of Human Rights and seminar

25-27 February, Helsinki

Conference on "Artificial Intelligence: Governing the Game Changer"

2-4 April, Strasbourg

36th Session of the Congress debate on local and regional democracy: 47 States - 200,000 communities - the other dimension of democracy

Side event: exhibition on the European Charter of Local and Regional Authorities

April

High profile event on the 30th anniversary of the Anti-Doping Convention

Spring, Finland

Public event in the margins of the 2nd meeting of the Educational Policy Advisers' Network (EPAN) on the role of education in building a culture of democracy and human rights in Europe over the past 70 years

Spring, Strasbourg

Plenary session of the Ethics, Integrity and Transparency in Education Platform (ETINED) on the importance of ethics and the absence of corruption in education to the development of democracy, human rights and the rule of law

16 May, Helsinki

Commemorative event to mark the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe

Joint conference of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the European Committee of the Regions to mark their 25th anniversary

24-28 June, Strasbourg

Parliamentary Assembly ceremony marking the 70th anniversary during the June part-session

June, France

High Level Conference on the Rights of the Child (Mid-term evaluation of the Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of the Child 2016-2021)

June, Strasbourg or Helsinki

Event to mark the 20th Anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine

June or September /October, Paris

European Conference on 25 years of the fight against racism and intolerance (title to be confirmed) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of ECRI

1st semester

Event involving the four Human Rights Commissioners of the Council of Europe

1 July, Strasbourg

Event marking the 20th Anniversary of the entry into force of the Revised European Social Charter

September-October, Strasbourg

Ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe including institutional commemoration, award of the youth essay writing competition prizes, commemorative concert and festivities

24-25 October, Strasbourg

European Conference of Presidents of Parliament

29-31 October, Strasbourg

Congress debate on local and regional democracy: 47 states - 200,000 communities - the other dimension of democracy, including input from youth delegates

October

Flagship event to mark the European Local Democracy Week

6-8 November, Strasbourg

World Forum for Democracy

18-22 November, Strasbourg

Annual Octopus Conference: 70 years fighting crime

November-December, Graz

European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) event marking the Council of Europe’s 70th anniversary

May-November, Paris or Strasbourg

Event marking the 20th Anniversary of Group of States against Corruption (GRECO)

May-November, Strasbourg

Event on migrants’ rights, asylum seekers, children on the move

ENTER! (Access to Social Rights for Young People) Youth Week 2019

High-level event or round-table discussion "Civil participation in policy-making at the European level: the role of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) as the voice of civil society at the Council of Europe".

North-South conference on the protection of child and young athletes from dangers associated with migration

[1] Translations of the slogan into the official languages of the member States of the Council of Europe are also set out in Appendix 1.

[2] These guidelines will be provided to member States with a view to the dissemination of the information on the competition via relevant ministries and institutions, as well as via relevant parliamentary and other networks.

[4]It should be recalled that on the occasion of the 60th anniversary there was a special photo exhibition and a special exhibition of the London Statute of the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights at Headquarters.

[5]The Amicale of the Council of Europe will be organising several specific activities.

[6] The slogan used on the stamp could also be in the languages of member States.

[7]The Exhibition will be on display at the Palais de l’Europe in May and again in October and November. In June and July it will be on display at the Aubette in Strasbourg.

[8] This event will be followed by another event in Strasbourg specifically on Article VII (recognition of qualifications of migrants and refugees).